Food made outdoors just seems to taste better, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s the flavor from the campfire smoke, the novelty of food you only make when you’re adventuring (hello, s’mores), or just the perks of a “dining room” with amazing views! In many parts of the country, camping is virtually a year-round possibility (even if it’s over the grill, in the backyard, while wearing a parka!). The Outdoor Adventure Cookbook by Coleman will be your resource for all of it, according to our cookbook editor, Lisa George of Latigo Ranch in Kremmling, Colorado.

If you are new to the camping routine, grab a copy of Coleman’s official cookbook, The Outdoor Adventure Cookbook, because in it you’ll find innovative recipes to prepare on your trip.  But the book is really a guide to successful camping beyond the cookstove.

Before you find the mouth-watering recipes, you’ll read tips on how to pack for camping or backpacking, how to pack a cooler, how to plan for meals, how to set up camp, tips on keeping things organized and efficient, and critter control.  There’s a page on how to tend the fire, how to build a good cooking fire, tips for cleaning up, and tips for packing up.

The remaining 233 pages are organized into the following chapters:

Breakfast

Drinks, Snacks, and Apps

Sandwiches and Salads

Hot Mains

Side Dishes

Desserts

Each recipe is illustrated with a gorgeous photograph, and many double page spreads are photos from National Parks in North America.  Not only will you mark new recipes to make on your next camping trip, but you’ll probably add many new destinations to your camping bucket list.

We deal with a multitude of allergen and sensitivity issues in our family, so although the recipe for Cheeseburger Soup on page 162 made my mouth water, I needed to substitute or alter 5 ingredients when trying it.  The principle of the dish wasn’t altered, though, so my positive recommendation still stands.  I used ground turkey, brown rice flour, almond milk, and sweet potatoes instead of the ground beef, all purpose flour, whole milk, and russet potatoes.  I skipped the toasted bun chunks on top despite how wonderful they looked in the photo.  It was still delicious!

At the Tuesday lunch cookout for our guests, I served the Zucchini and Carrot Slaw with Homemade Catalina Dressing on page 142, and it was a big hit.  Although it was much easier to create in our commercial kitchen with a mandolin slicer, spiralizer, and blender, I think with a bit of prep work before heading out into the wild, it could be packed and prepared easily.

Making the Zucchini and Carrot Slaw with Homemade Catalina Dressing.

Colorado isn’t a mecca for fresh figs, but when I saw a pint container of them at the big grocery store 90 minutes away this spring, I snatched them to make Honey-Glazed Grilled Figs.  The flavor and texture of this dish was very good.  These are the introductory comments before the recipe:

“This side dish will elevate your camping cuisine.  The light char on the figs adds depth alongside the rich blue cheese and toasty walnuts.  Serve it with grilled chicken, pork, or beef; it’s also excellent as an appetizer.  To hold up on the high heat of the grill, the figs need to be relatively firm but not underripe.  Mission figs are called for here, but you can use any variety you like.”

Coleman presents so many dishes to elevate your camping cuisine in this book.  Next on my list to try is Candied Bacon-wrapped Smokies on page 88.  It involves cocktail sized sausages, bacon, maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon, and Sriracha.  How could they not be amazing?  The best part of this tasty collection of recipes is that you don’t have to cook them over a camp stove to enjoy them!

Although smoke improves the taste of most food, the real wow-factor from the recipes in The Outdoor Adventure Cookbook is their flavor complexities. On one hand, they’re simple to create; on the other hand, only veteran campers prepare food like this out in the wild.  Studying the tips and recipes in this cookbook before your next adventure will take you to a whole new level of impressiveness around the cookstove. — Review by Lisa George. Photos by Hannah George.

Here’s a link to The Outdoor Adventure Cookbook on Amazon.com.

Hungry for more? Read some of Lisa George’s other cookbook reviews, here. 

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